The New Dsi: Is It Worth It?

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Nintendo strikes again with its new handheld game system: The Nintendo DSi. The new handheld seems to bring much thrill and excitement to Nintendo lovers everywhere, but many are now asking the same question: “Is it worth it?” Players with their old Nintendo DS lite still have to consider the the pros and cons of the new system to see if its worth buying.

Changes to the Outside:

One of the differences you’ll see immediately once you hold the DSi in your hands is the texture and the feel of the DSi. Instead of the plastic, slick feel you would feel on your Nintendo DS Lite, you would notice that the cover is a bit rougher, and its shape has been altered to make the DSi more ’smooth’.

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Big news for GBA game lovers: The GBA slot has been removed because Nintendo seems to have wanted the ’smooth’ look to be put into effect for all sides of the DSi. Games like “Guitar Hero”, which require the GBA slot, are now out of the question for the Nintendo DSi.

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Now, if you feel the sides of the DSi, you’ll notice that the on/off switch is gone and volume control slider is now composed of two buttons on the left side. You would also notice that there is a slot for SD cards, which can be used to store pictures you take from your DSi.

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Another minor detail is that the lights which indicate the battery power status and recharge status have been moved to the left side of the DSi, instead of the right, which was done on the DS lite. There is also a new light which indicates the WiFi access.

The Changes to the inside:

Opening your DSi isn’t very dramatic, and there are no light-shows (If you’re obsessed, you can), no spotlights (Again, if you are obsessed, you can), no singing (unless you did when you opened it, which I find very rare in most cases), and no screaming (…Usually).

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Inside, you’ll see almost no difference when it comes to appearance, except that the power button is now on the bottom left hand corner. The buttons used to control the DSi have a new texture to them. The top screen also has been enlarged by a little bit, as well as the touch screen. (They just get bigger and bigger each time, don’t they?)

Features: (While turned on, that is)

When turned on, the menu that pops up after the ‘warning’ message is a big improvement. Instead of a sloppy menu with no great things to do with it, Nintendo transformed it to the menu similar to the menu interface of the Nintendo Wii. You can slide through the different menus with pleasure and enjoy the new appeal it gives to users. Camera is the real buzz behind the new console. Some find the camera fun and cool to play with, while others feel that Nintendo needs to work a lot harder to get more appeal for the camera. While you can distort pictures and make a lot of fun, the resolution is almost like a cell phone’s. The new store for the DSi is also a new feature many are eager to try out. If you have WiFi access, you can buy apps from the store to improve your DSi. Like the camera, there appears to be a voice recorder, which again, you can altar to your wishes, for fun and enjoyment.

Basically, that’s all that there is too it. If you have a DS lite and are satisfied with it, then by all means I say keep it. The only thing that makes the DSi differ from the DS lite aren’t that significant enough to MAKE you buy it. If Nintendo starts making games for only DSi, then that’s where the problem will start..